Trading methods have evolved from a manually intensive process to a technology enabled, electronic platform. Advances in technology are having an increasingly large and broad impact on trading and the way in which exchanges conduct business. What was previously seen as just a supplement to the traditional pit trading, electronic trading platforms continue to increase in importance and popularity. The advent of electronic trading has meant that a customer can be in virtually direct contact with the market, from practically anywhere in the world, performing near real-time transactions, and without the need to make personal contact with a broker. Electronic trading systems are also convenient for brokers on the floor at an exchange for receiving orders electronically.
Exchanges that support electronic trading are generally based on a host, one or more computer networks, and clients. In general, the host includes one or more centralized computers to form the electronic heart. Its operations typically include order matching, maintaining order books and positions, price information, and managing and updating a database that records such information. The host is also equipped with an external interface that maintains uninterrupted contact to the clients and possibly other trading-related systems.
Typically, market participants link to the host through one or more networks. A network is a group of two or more computers linked together. There are many types of networks such as local area networks and wide area networks. Networks can also be characterized by topology, protocol, and architecture. However, any type of network configuration can be used in electronic trading. For example, some market participants may link to the host through a direct connection such as a T1 or ISDN. Some participants may link to the exchange through direct connections and through other common network components such as high-speed servers, routers, and gateways. The Internet, a well known collection of networks and gateways, can be used to establish a connection between the client and the host. There are many different types of networks, and combinations of network types, known in the art that can link market participants to the host.
Regardless of the way in which a connection is established, software running on the clients allows people to log onto one or more exchanges and participate in at least one market. A client is a computer such as a personal computer, laptop computer, hand-held computer, and so forth that has network access. In general, clients run software that creates specialized interactive trading screens. Trading screens enable market participants to enter orders into the market, obtain market quotes, and monitor positions.
Generally, when an order is submitted to an exchange (e.g., via a client), the exchange checks the limits of the order, for example price, quantity, and so forth, and prioritizes the order with other orders of the same price. Exchanges often prioritize the orders based on when they were received at the exchange or through some other time stamping mechanism. Based on their priority, orders are typically arranged in a queue. Orders in the queue with the higher priority are matched first. Once the orders are matched, they are removed from the queue. This type of matching algorithm is commonly referred to as FIFO (first-in, first-out), as the first orders into the queue are typically the first orders to be matched. Sometimes, when there is a price movement in the market, orders behind in the queue might never get matched. Therefore, it is often advantageous to have orders first or near first in the queue so that they have a better chance of being matched.
The quantity of orders pending in the market (e.g., orders in the queue) at various price levels is represented by market information. Many electronic exchanges offer market information, which includes the inside market and market depth, in their data feeds which are published to client devices and displayed on the trading screen. As used herein, the inside market is the lowest sell price (best ask) and the highest buy price (best bid) at a particular point in time. Market depth refers to quantity available at the inside market and can also refer to quantity available at other prices away from the inside market. Exchanges can offer other types of market information such as the last traded price (LTP), the last traded quantity (LTQ), and/or order fill information. Market information, is often used by market participants to make better decisions about their trades.
To profit in electronic markets, however, market participants must be able to assimilate large amounts of data, including market information, and react accordingly more quickly than other competing market participants. It is therefore desirable to offer tools that can assist a market participant in adapting his or her strategy to an electronic marketplace, and help the participant to make desirable trades.